AIBU, to feel sorry for Dr receptionists?

[DUFFDADDY1]

Hello. I am waiting in a Dr surgery as I write this . Previously I have been frustrated with surgery reception staff finding them rude , uncaring , and generally unhelpful!
Although as I sit her with the constant phone calls, the repeated explanation " sorry I can't help you , repeated to the same caller, it's x department you should call , I feel a slight guilt that it's possibly more me wanting answers immediately , and thinking I am the only one with an illness.
AIBU

The ones at my surgery now are all (I think) good.
But I’ve dealt with terrible ones. I used to have a job where I couldn’t talk freely anywhere and the doctors reception was only open during working hours. I had to call about infertility treatment appointments which my colleagues (within earshot) were not aware of nor did I want them to be. Despite me saying that the reason for the appointment was the same as the last appointment and my GP was fully aware and had asked me to make the appointment they still insisted they couldn’t unless I gave full details. ‘Personal’ ‘female related’ or any other vague categories were not accepted. I complained and the GP put a note on my file…. made no difference.

The receptionists at my gp are all polite and helpful, and usually friendly and sympathetic. That's not always been the case so maybe we're just lucky with the present lot or, and more likely, the practice manager has set a good tone.

The surgery remained open throughout the pandemic for people to go in to speak to the receptionists but you could only book appointments over the phone.

However, they write down whatever you say is the problem - so that the gp knows what to expect or you can be directed to the right person (or they can ring and say were cancelling your appointment because we're not going to help you with that!) And I've realised that that's where frustration starts because what you've said is not what they've heard so what they've written is wrong. And that can have an impact with misunderstandings and tempers starting to fray later on.

YANBU but I struggle to have much sympathy at all for Gp receptionists.

With the odd exception they are generally surly, unhelpful jobsworths who seem to think it's their job to be the bouncers of the NHS.
No they shouldn't be abused of course, but there are plenty of public facing roles across the NHS and other services where staff are subject to abuse, its not right but it doesn't seem to result in other professionals acting in the way Gp receptionists do.
And whenever I have witnessed patients being rude or bad mannered it has always been exacerbated first by the receptionist and their own behaviour.

YANBU

Our GP receptionists are professional, efficient, compassionate and helpful yet even they come in for a ton of abuse on the village Facebook group from time to time. It just makes me cringe to be honest.

I just think their jobs at the moment must be absolute hell so my heart goes out to them.

You're constantly being beaten up by angry members of the public, you have absolutely no control over the stuff that they are upset about, you're underpaid and undervalued.

As a general rule they are not particularly helpful or pleasant but honestly if I was doing their jobs I'd struggle to go in every day.

I do a bit. But there are tougher jobs in the world

At 5pm they go home and switch off

The majority of GP receptionists are paid, at the most, just over minimum wage. I did this job for six months, that was enough. The public treat you poorly but so did the doctors
In my experience. There is very little training.

I understand how frustrating it is for patients sitting in a telephone queue and then being told 'Sorry, there are no appointments left today. Try ringing at 8.30am tomorrow.' But I wasn't able to magic an appointment, the doctors are able but I was not. Equally I wasn't interested if you had an ingrowing toenail or erectile disfunction. I was asking as I had been instructed to do so by the doctor.

GP receptionists seem to have a reputation of being rude and unhelpful. Sometimes it is justified, usually it isn't.

YANBU. They are only working in accordance with policies that they did not make personally. Policies that are probably heavily influenced by governmental ineptitude.

In every group of people, be it GP receptionists, Avon ladies, Morris dancers or sandwich artists, there will be a few rotters. That's just life. The vast majority are pleasant, courteous people.

It's hard for me to feel sorry for them when i've never had a nice, respectful or pleasant GP receptionist. All my experience is them being rude, invasive, deliberately unhelpful and generally not nice.

I appreciate that there job may be tough, and their not particularly responsible for the 'book on the day' and 'what is the reason for the appointment' rules, however when they REFUSE to book me an appointment or 'forget' to book an appointment or chat between themselves about patients aliments then it's difficult to feel bad for them.

I guess they've probably been worn down over the years rather than being unpleasant naturally.

However, I now try to mimic their attitude, as i'm fed up of trying to be nice, but get treated like shit.

I think part of the issue is that by time you're speaking to a receptionist over the phone or face to face you're so frustrated and maybe upset that it spills over into interaction.

You know it's not the fault of the receptionist that you haven't been able to get through on the phone for 3 days.
You know it's not the fault of the receptionist that the letter you have been TOLD will be there isn't there.

I've stood at the desk and cried with frustration because they are the end of the line of maybe days of chasing, maybe for something you don't really understand.

This absolutely does not excuse anyone being rude, but I do see how it happens.

@Cas112

No, its there job

It's nobody's job to be abused or spoken to rudely, but obviously you're one of the unpleasant rude ones.

I find them a mixed bag. The most frustrating thing I find they do is not to listen. I will ask perfectly clearly for the first available appointment for a non urgent condition before 9.15 or after 6.30 because I work full-time, an hour away from my GP practice. The response is invariably "2pm tomorrow". I repeat my request "I've got 11 on Friday". I repeat my request "well I 've just offered you two appointments and you've refused them". Yes because they were at times I cannot make and I have told you it is a review appointment and not urgent. "Well I can offer you 9am in two weeks' time." Absolutely fine I say. I don't understand why they don't listen and don't follow instructions. It seems to waste so much time.

Separately I have met one or two receptionists who are utterly vile. When an organisation cocks up in Amy other service it is usually the organisation that puts things right. GP surgeries however expect the patient to do the running and have no reservations about wasting one's time and leading one a merry dance. For example if one is asked to collect a letter from the surgery and it isn't ready. One might ask in that case for it to be posted and the response is "we don't post anything unless you provide the stamped addressed envelope. Yet it isn't my fault the letter isn't ready. There is too often zero respect for patient time.

Happily now my surgery has moved most of this on-line things have got much easier and far less of time is wasted. I don't know why it took Covid to inject some efficiency into the system.

It is so good to use the portal and not to be called "love" "dahlin" etc with every breath.

Our receptionists are lovely IF you can win the telephone lottery system to get through to them. Never anything but kind and helpful and fantastic with children especially if they're upset or worried.

When poor DD was suffering dreadfully with period cramps a couple of years ago and was actually sobbing and screaming in pain they initially said they had nothing until following week then heard her in back ground and immediately gave her an appointment 2 hours later. Then got a call fifteen minutes later from GP who said receptionist very concerned and has asked that DD be fitted in for telephone consultation between patients.

GP receptionists are usually lovely people working under pressure, expected to make difficult decisions all the time and always under pressure from people who want things NOW.

The only time I got really really annoyed was during lockdown when I was offered a telephone appointment for ....... a smear test They seemed quite irritable when I tried to politely tell them this was not practical

11:26Floralnomad - maybe if he didn't, he wouldn't get to eat, or reception would have to close?

My GP's receptionists are universally nice and have made bloody well sure that when an issue is urgent it's treated that way (e.g. DS1 was actually seriously ill, appointment made at 8:30 and in hospital by 10 after phone, face time and surgery appointment).

If you talk to the average receptionist they may come across as a bit short because of the sheer level of twattery they face. Results not available same day? Their fault. Can't get appointment when ringing two hours after opening? Their fault.

It's the same with pharmacy staff, people treat them like absolute shit and then berate them for not just taking it.

Ours are absolutely dreadful. They refused to register me for months whilst I was pregnant because my name wasn’t on the tenancy agreement. I ended up having to go to A&E to get my asthma medication and missed being referred to my 20 week scan. I took In bank statements, marriage certificates, passport, pension documents but none were good enough. The only reason they registered me in the end was because the head of A&E called up one of the doctors. My complaint was cancelled because ‘Covid’.

Im pregnant again and my recurrent miscarriage consultant asked me to book an appointment with my GP also. I got one word out before the receptionist went ‘no appointments’, I tried to talk again and was greeted with ‘no appointments’. When I finally got her to listed to me, it turned out that there in fact were some appointments. It was like a scene out of Catherine Tate.

@Cas112

No, its there job

What part of the Job Description does 'receiving abuse from people for things out of your control' come under?

@Floralnomad

Last time I was at the GP for blood tests the receptionist was sat at the desk eating his salad - very unprofessional .

Probably because they were working through their lunch break. What else would you like them to do? They need to eat!

I worked as one for a year, it's hell, and this was before covid so I can only imagine what absolutely shit show it is now. I find it fascinating that some have had every single one they've interacted with be rude, dismissive or unhelpful- almost as if possibly the problem is not them. But yes, it's not the receptionists fault there's a queue on the phones, they can't magic appointments out of thin air (there are guidelines to follow which they haven't had input into so it's not their fault), the doctor hasn't done your prescription yet, appointments are running late. The abuse I got was astounding, I get people are often unwell and perhaps scared as they don't know whats wrong, but absolutely vile people out there who need to learn how to behave. Yes I do feel sorry for them, its a thankless job for crap pay- I wouldn't go back to it in a million years.

@Ionlydomassiveones

“They refused to register me for months whilst I was pregnant because my name wasn’t on the tenancy agreement.”

Maybe that’s the GP policy? Not just someone being arsey?

What people forget is that doctors’ receptionists often have to answer to the doctors who often have a reputation for arrogance and intolerance. I think that is what is being reflected back to patients. If your low-wage receptionist is being difficult it’s probably because she’s getting flack from above. It’s a highly pressured job and the general public are dicks to deal with. I am happy to forgive them.

It's not just that, but they're strict legal guidelines to follow regarding registering patients and the handling of their data. I wouldn't have risked my job to circumvent the rules as someone couldn't be arsed to get suitable documentation.

@Madwife123 not at all , there are at least 3 of them and they only do reception there are other staff for prescriptions etc now that they don’t allow any patients in whenever you do go in they are all just sitting there chatting to each other , or as in this case eating . They only take calls for appointments before 10:30 and don’t have any pre booked appointments as everything is still done by telephone / iPad except blood tests .

I was a Practice Manager in a number of General Practices over many years. Virtually all the receptionists I worked with were very professional and worked really hard for pretty rubbish money. They also put up with a lot of crap from many patients. I'm a big fan of them.

@Mummydoctor you're so right!! I was a practice manager for many years, most receptionist work their socks off and do a great job. And the way many patients are suddenly sweetness and light when they're in front of the GP would make my blood boil!

“I guess they've probably been worn down over the years rather than being unpleasant naturally.”

I have worked in many GP surgeries over the years as an AHP and I would say the same.
I think if someone is experiencing a lot of fractious interactions with people on a daily basis after a while they become defensive and quick to bite. I imagine most of us would.

I’ve heard patients talk to them like absolute shit, ‘if I die it’s your fault’ etc and really personal insults. No wonder they get a bit grumpy.